According to a report by Sports Hochi, the Rakuten Eagles could offer Masahiro Tanaka 800 million yen for the 2014 season. Tanaka signed a three-year deal that was an estimated total 1.2 billion yen before the start of the past season. The 800 million yen would be double the amount of the base salary he agreed to and would easily make him the highest paid Japanese pitcher in NPB history (the current record of 650 million yen was set by Kazuhiro Sasaki in 2004 and 2005).

Sports Hochi feels the next time the two sides meet, the Eagles will tell Tanaka that they are not planning to post him. Their salary offer for the 2014 season would come after that.

I am confused as to why Tohoku needs to offer Tanaka more money. He is still under contract and if I understand correctly they could simply wait to post him next year and, barring injury, still get the $20,000,000.